Anchor winch



1965 c. J. SKRABAN 3,201,092

ANCHOR WINCH Filed June 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR.

BY M /5M 1965 c. J. SKRABAN 3,201,092

ANCHOR WINCH Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet'Z Casimir J .Slrraban IN VEN TOR.

BY MM FMM United States Patent 3,201,9h2 ANCHOR WllNCH Casimir J. Skrahan, 2427 N. Central Park Ave, Chicago 47, ill. Filed June 4, 1963, Ser. No. 285,286 Claims. (U. 254l87) This invention relates to a novel and useful anchor winch and holder and more specifically to an assembly which is adapted to be secured in a boat hull and which includes a winch assembly and an anchor holder, the latter of which includes means defining a rope guide and a depending and downwardly opening anchor receiving socket Whose upper end is in communication with the rope guide. The anchor holder is constructed in a manner whereby it may be secured to the upper surfaces of a bow of the boat with the downwardly opening anchor receiving socket disposed outwardly over the sides of the boat thereby enabling an anchor secured to an anchor line to be pulled vertically upwardly by means of the anchor rope and into seated engagement with the downwardly opening anchor receiving socket. In this manner, the anchor will be rigidly supported in a position disposed outwardly of the sides of the boat and instantly ready for lowering into the water and the anchoring of the boat.

In addition, the winch assembly of the instant inven tion includes a winding drum comprising a shaft journalled from a base or mount for the assembly and which is also axially slidable relative to the mount between first and second limit positions and has a winding member rotatably and axially slidably disposed thereon. The winding member is retained against axial shifting relative to the mount of the anchor assembly and coacting clutch means is carried by the shaft and the winding member and operable, upon movement of the shaft between first and second positions, to drivingly connect the shaft to and disconnect the shaft from driving engagement with the winding member respectively. In addition, means is provided for yieldingly urging the shaft toward the first limit position whereby the shaft will normally be drivingly connected to the winding member.

The main object of this invention is to provide an anchor winch and holder includin means by which the anchor of a boat may be rigidly supported in a position disposed outwardly of the sides of a boat whereby the anchor may be at any time allowed to drop vertically into the water for the purpose of anchoring the boat.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide an anchor winch assembly including means by which an anchor may be raised into seated engagement with the anchor holder and retained in this inoperative position until such time as it is desired to again anchor the boat.

Still another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately precedin object, is to provide an anchor winch assembly including means by which the Winding member thereof may be readily declutched from the means by which the winding member is normally rotated in order to raise the anchor thereby providing a means by which the winding member for the anchor rope may be disposed in a free-wheeling position in order that the weight of the anchor may be utilized to unreel the anchor rope therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide the winding member of the winch assembly with a crank arm including means for declutching the Winding member from the crank arm when it is desired to 1 wer the anchor.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly including a ratchet mechanism in constant control over the rotating portions of the winch assembly to which the crank arm is constantly drivingly connected whereby an unintentional clutching of the crank arm with the winding ember while the anchor is being dropped will not result in the weight of the anchor and the inertia of the rotating winding member during the unreeling of the anchor rope causing sudden swinging movement of tne crank arm which could cause injury to a person holding the crank arm.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an anchor winch and holder which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FEGURE 1 is a top plan view of a conventional form of boat hull showing the anchor winch and holder assembly of the instant invention operatively mounted thereon;

FEGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially upon a plane passing through the longitudinal centerline of the boat hull illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through the portion of one side of the boat to which the winch assembly is secured with an alternate position of the crank arm of the winch as sembly being shown in phantom line;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially upon a plane passing through the anchor holder.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 1%) generally designates a boat hull including a pair of sides 12 and 14 interconnected by means of an upstanding transom 16 at the rear of the hull 10 and a bottom 18. The forward end of the boat hull It) includes an upper horizontal bow-reinforcing member 20 and the anchor holder of the instant invention which is generally referred to by the reference numeral 22 is secured to the reinforcing member 2d.

The winch assembly of the instant invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 24 and is supported from the side 14 of the boat hull 10.

With attention now directed to FIGURE 6 of the drawings it will be seen that the anchor holder 22 comprises an elongated tubular housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 28 which includes a mounting plate portion 36 that is secured to the reinforcing member 20 in any convenient manner'such as by fasteners 32.

The housing 23 is generally horizontally disposed and extends longitudinally of the hull 10 and terminates at its forward end in a depending and downwardly opening anchor-receiving socket 34 whose lowermost open end 36 is flared as at 38. The forward end of the housing 28 has a pulley lt journalled therein for rotation about a horizontally disposed transversely extending axis and the rear end of the housing 28 has a pulley 42 rotatably journalled therein for rotation about an upstanding axis.

An anchor member generally referred to by the reference numeral 44 is provided and includes a heavy enlarge-d base 45 to which the lower end of ashank46 is .freely relative to the shaft.

secured. In addition, the upper end of the base 45 includes a diametrically enlarged radially outwardly projecting flange 43 and the upper end of the shank 46 is tapered as at 56 for ease in guiding the shank into the lower end of the anchor-receiving socket 34.

The free end of an anchor rope 52 is secured to the upper end of the shank 46 and passes over the pulley 4-4 and around the pulley 42. The anchor rope 52 then passes through guides 54- secured to the side 14 and is wound about the winding member 56 of the winch assembly 24.

The winch assembly 24 includes a mounting housing 64) including a pair of end walls 62 and 64. The end walls 62 and 64 are centrally apertured and rotatably and slidably receive a shaft 66. The winding member 56 comprises a double flanged drum defining a cylindrical portion 68 and a pair of end walls 79 and '72. The end wall 72 includes an inwardly projecting generally circular clutch member 74 having a pair of diametric slots 76 formed therein. T he shaft 66 includes a pin '73 extending diametrically therethrough and projecting from opposite sides of the shaft 66 and the 1 in 73 is receivable in the grooves or slots 76. However, a compression spring 86 is disposed between the confronting surfaces of the anti-friction washers 82 and 8d and normally yieldably urge the shaft 66 to the position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The remote surfaces of the anti-friction washers 82 and 34 abut against the inner face of the end wall '76 and the inner face of the projection 74 respectively.

A pair of spacer washers 86 and 6d are disposed between the end Walls 56 and 62 and the end Walls '72 and 64 respectively and prevent axial shifting of the a winding member 56 relative to the mounting housing 66.

One end of the shaft 66 projects outwardly through the end wall 64 and is enclosed in a second housing 90 and has a ratchet Wheel 92 mounted thereon. A ratchet pawl 94 is pivotally secured to the housing 96 by means of a pivot pin 95 and is releasably engageable with the ratchet wheel d2 for preventing rotation of the shaft 66 in a direction which will rotate the winding member 56 to unwind the rope 52.

The end of the shaft 66 remote from the ratchet wheel )2 projects outwardly of the end wall 62 and has one end portion of a crank handle or arm and lever Q6 pivotally secured thereto by means of a pivot pin @8. It may be seen from FIGURE 3 of the drawings that the arm 96 has a slot 166 formed therein whereby the arm 96 may be swung between the positions illustrated in solid and phantom lines relative to the shaft 66. The outer end of the arm 96 includes a laterally directed handle 102 which may be utilized to effect rotation of the shaft 66 and the winding member 56 when the pin 78 is received in the slot 74.

A latch member 166 is slidably mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement on the outer surface of the end wall 64 by means of a U-shaped clip 1% and includes a bifurcated end 116 which is engageable with a diametrically reduced portion 112 of the shaft 66. When the bifurcated end portion Mill is engaged with the diametrically reduced portion 112, the shaft 66 is locked against axial shifting relative to the mount 62 and therefore the winding member 56. However, when the latch member 106 is pulled upwardly to the position illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the free end of the arm 96 may be swung to the position illustrated a in phantom lines in FIGURE 3 in order to axially shift the shaft 66 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 3 whereupon the pin 78 will be moved outwardly of the slots '76 thereby declutching the winding member 56 from the shaft 66 and enabling the winding member 56 to rotate In this manner, the weight of the anchor 44 will be sufficient to cause rotation of the winding member 56 in a direction to unwind the rope 52 and therefore, it may be seen that the anchor 44 may be instantly lowered merely by swinging the crank arm 96 to the position illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. However, should the latch member 106 be in the raised position and the winding member be rotating in a direction to unwind the anchor rope, the ratchet pawl 94 will prevent the shaft 66 from suddenly rotating at a high speed should the crank arm 96 be inadvertently returned to the position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings again seating the pin 73 in one of the slots 76. The ratchet pawl 94 will of course engage the ratchet wheel 92 and prevent the rotating winding member 56 from imparting rotation to the shaft 66 whereby the ratchet pawl 94, by Way of the shaft 66 and the pin 78, will immediately stop rotation of the winding member 56 should the crank arm 96 be moved from the position illustrated in phantom lines to the position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

The housing 28 has an upper mounting plate 116 secured thereto by means of suitable fasteners 113. The mounting plate 116 may have numerous boat fixtures secured thereto but is primarily designed to have a bow light assembly secured thereto. The mounting of a how light on the plate 116 will of course, assure that the light is elevated above the holder 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A winch assembly comprising a mount adapted to be secured to a boat hull and having a Winding drum rotatably mounted thereon, said winding drum comprising a shaft journaled from said mount and axially slidable relative to said mount between first and second limit positions and a winding member rotatably and axially slidably disposed on said shaft and held against axial shifting relative to said mount, a ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation and axial shifting therewith, a ratchet pawl supported from said mount and aligned and engaged with said wheel preventing rotation of said shaft in one direction when said shaft is in said first position, means yieldingly urging said shaft toward said first position, coacting clutch means carried by said shaft and winding member and operable, upon movement of said shaft to said first position to drivingly connect said shaft to said winding member and to disconnect said shaft from driving engagement with said winding member upon movement of said shaft toward said second position past an intermediate position disposed between said first and second poistions, said ratchet wheel being shiftable out of registry and engagement with said ratchet pawl upon movement of said shaft toward said second position past a second intermediate position disposed between the first-mentioned intermediate position and said second position.

2. The combination of claim 1 including releasable latch means carried by said mount and engageable with said shaft for preventing axial movement of said shaft from said first limit position toward said second limit position.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount includes a diametrically enlarged portion through which one end of said shaft projects, a laterally projecting crank arm and shifting lever pivotally secured adjacent but spaced from one end thereof to said one end of said shaft for rotation about an axis entending transversely of said lever and said shaft, said one end of said lever being engageable with said diametrically enlarged portion as a sliding fulcrum to shift said shaft toward said second position upon movement of the other end of said lever in the direction in which said one end of said shaft projects.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount includes a first outwardly projecting mounting arm and a second extendable outwardly projecting arm, said arms generally paralleling each other and including means at their outer ends adapted to be secured to a boat hull.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount includes a diametrically enlarged portion through which one end of said shaft projects, a laterally projecting crank arm and shifting lever pivotally secured adjacent but spaced from one end thereof to said one end of said shaft for rotation about an axis extending transversely of said lever and said shaft, said one end of said lever being engageable with said diametrically enlarged portion as a sliding fulcrum to shift said shaft toward said second position upon movement of the other end of said lever in the direction in which said one end of said shaft projects, said crank arm including a laterally directed handle on said other end thereof projecting in the" direc tion in which said one end of said shaft projects.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,530,586 11/50 Smith.

2,531,610 11/50 Butzman 242-84.46 X 2,640,661 6/53 lee 242-8454 2,893,341 7/59 Anderson 114-210 3,106,180-10/63 Rice 114-210 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WINCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MOUNT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A BOAT HULL AND HAVING A WINDING DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREON, SAID WINDING DRUM COMPRISING A SHAFT JOURNALED FROM SAID MOUNT AND AXIALLY SLIDABLE RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND LIMIT POSITIONS AND A WINDING MEMBER ROTATABLY AND AXIALLY SLIDABLY DISPOSED ON SAID SHAFT AND HELD AGAINST AXIAL SHIFTING RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNT, A RATCHET WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION AND AXIAL SHIFTING THEREWITH, A RATCHET PAWL SUPPORTED FROM SAID MOUNT AND ALIGNED AND ENGAGED WITH SAID WHEEL PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION WHEN SAID SHAFT IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION, MEANS YIELDINGLY URGING SAID SHAFT TOWARD SAID FIRST POSITION, COACTING CLUTCH MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT AND WINDING MEMBER AND OPERABLE, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT TO SAID FIRST POSITION TO DRIVINGLY CONNECT SAID SHAFT TO SAID WINDING MEMBER AND TO DISCONNECT SAID SHAFT FROM DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WINDING MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION PAST AN INTERMEDIATE POSITON DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POISTIONS, SAID RATCHET WHEEL BEING SHIFTABLE OUT OF REGISTRY AND ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RATCHET PAWL UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION PAST A SECOND INTERMEDIATE POSITION DISPOSED BETWEEN THE FIRST-MENTIONED INTERMEDIATE POSITION AND SAID SECOND POSITION. 